Firelands Rails to Trails, Inc. is a nonprofit, 501(c)3

all volunteer organization dedicated to completing the

rail trail across Huron County. This will become part of

the North Coast Inland Trail, large portions of which

are already enjoyed by families in adjacent counties

across Northern Ohio. When complete, the trail will

stretch from Lorain to Toledo, in most areas using the

almost level grade of the scenic former New York

Central Railroad’s “Norwalk Branch”.

Firelands Rails to Trails, Inc. (FRTTI) acts on behalf

of The Northwest Ohio Rail Trail Association and park

districts in five nearby counties which currently own

approximately 14.8 miles of former Penn Central

railroad property stretching through the northern part

of Huron County.

Your support of this trail system will provide a safe,

clean, and picturesque route for bike riders, walkers,

joggers and skiers. The NCIT is also the only public

equestrian trail in Huron County.

The primary mission of FRTTI is the design,

construction, and maintenance of the NCIT in Huron

County, with funding made possible by memberships,

donations, grants, and park district owner

contributions. The Bruce L. Chapin Bridge is the key-

stone of the NCIT in Eastern Huron County.

The Toledo, Norwalk and

Cleveland Railroad was built in

1851 as a route connecting

Toledo, Norwalk & Grafton. In

1853 the railroad merged with the

Junction Railroad to become the

Cleveland & Toledo Railroad. The line served the rich

agricultural regions of Northern Ohio and later became

the east-west main line of the Lake Shore and

Michigan Southern which formed the original transcon-

tinental route between New York and Chicago.

In the 1860’s, the original route to Grafton was

abandoned in favor of a connection to the new main

line at Elyria which proceeded west through Sandusky.

After 1869, our route through Norwalk was reduced

to a secondary line by the Lake Shore & Michigan

Southern with the newer line through Sandusky

becoming the current main line. The New York Central

merged the LS&MS in 1914. Unprofitability, poor track,

and a washout near Norwalk led to abandonment in

1976 by Penn Central, successor to the NYC System.

Introducing the

Wakeman, Ohio

The Keystone of the

North Coast Inland Trailin Eastern Huron County

HISTORY OF THE NORWALK BRANCH

ABOUT FIRELANDS RAILS TO TRAILS

WWW.FIRELANDSRAILSTOTRAILS.ORGWWW.FIRELANDSRAILSTOTRAILS.ORG

Membership Form

Name:__________________________

Address:________________________

City:____________________________

State:_______ Zip:___________

Phone: _________________________

Email: __________________________

Annual Dues: ____ New _____ Renewal

___ Student $ 5.00

___ Individual $ 10.00

___ Family $ 15.00

___ Club or Organization $ 30.00

___ Supporting $ 50.00

___ Sustaining $100.00

___ Benefactor $250.00

___ Donation _______

___ Bridge Fund ! _______

TOTAL __________

I would also like to donate:___ Labor___ Equipment ___________________

Detach and Mail this section.

Please make your check payable to:

Firelands Rails To Trails, Inc.44 East Main St. Norwalk, OH 44857

Membership fees and donations to Firelands Rails to

Trails are tax-deductible as allowed by law.

When Bruce walked into his parent’s home situated

on the family farm that was established just south of

Norwalk, Ohio by his great-grandfather, he saw hang-

ing on the wall just inside the front door a framed print

of a stone double-arched railroad bridge, a gift to his

parents from Kenneth and Lucille Buckley.

In 1946, Kenneth, President of the Wakeman Bank,

placed his trust in Robert Chapin, a returning World

War II B‑24 co-pilot, by extending him a loan to start

the construction company Chapin and Chapin, Inc.

The business relationship grew into a lifelong friend-

ship. Kenneth understood Robert’s passion for firm

foundations, lasting structures, and stonework.

Kenneth knew of Robert’s appreciation of the stone

double-arched bridge that spanned the Vermillion

River just down from the Buckley’s home which over-

looked the banks of that same river. In recognition of

this appreciation and in honor of their friendship,

Kenneth and Lucille gave Robert and Troas the framed

print that was displayed in a prominent spot in the

Chapin home.

The Chapin’s would later purchase the actual bridge

and corner lot in Wakeman, Ohio, to ensure that this

historic landmark would be preserved in spite of its

uncertain future with trains no longer running on its

tracks.

Robert passed on to Bruce, the eldest Chapin son,

his love of firm foundations, lasting structures and

stonework and his love of the outdoors, earth, and

trees; and upon his death, Robert passed the double-

arched bridge to Bruce, as well. Upon Bruce’s death in

2008, the bridge passed to Firelands Rails to Trails.

Bruce L. Chapin was born June 7, 1946, Norwalk,

Ohio, the same year that his father established the

construction company Chapin and Chapin, Inc. He

was a 1964 Norwalk High School graduate; a Purdue

University graduate with a B.S. in civil engineering;

and a Miami University graduate with a M.S. in busi-

ness administration. Bruce worked for many years with

the family’s heavy and highway construction company

Chapin and Chapin, Inc. He served as a captain in the

Ohio Air National Guard. He was an avid pilot, golfer,

and photographer. He found pleasure in working with

stone and wood, and in growing trees.

This former Lake Shore and Michigan Southern dou-

ble-arched bridge will soon see walkers, runners, and

bikers and will be forever known as the Bruce L.

Chapin Bridge in his honor.

Marcia Chapin Weller, sister of Bruce L. Chapin

BRUCE L. CHAPIN

HAPINCBRUCE L.

BRIDGE

Will you help???Will you help Firelands Rails toTrails retrofit this architecturalgem, engineering marvel, and his-torical showpiece, in honor ofBruce L. Chapin?

Help us to develop this bridge forfuture generations to enjoy andcherish. Help us to complete thiskey link in the North Coast InlandTrail.

We need your support!

In Early 2012, volunteers from Firelands Rails to Trails

began making plans to retrofit the bridge for trail use.

Dozens of dedicated individuals climbed down the

embankment and picked up bag after bag of litter and

debris which had piled up over several decades. Next,

thirty-plus years of tree growth and vegetation were

removed from the bridge deck and approaches. The

efforts picked up steam when Wakeman resident

Kenny Tkach removed hundreds of yards of soil, old

stone ballast and organic matter from the top of the

structure with his backhoe. FRTTI volunteers shov-

eled along side Kenny as the beautiful sandstone deck

of the bridge came into view, the volunteers now work-

ing late into the night. The excavation revealed a per-

fectly smooth, eleven foot wide sandstone surface

ready for railings to be affixed to the top. With the

needed funding, this beautiful 1872 bridge can safely

carry walkers and bikers across the Vermilion River on

the North Coast Inland Trail offering spectacular views

year-round and without the dangers of walking or bik-

ing the parallel U.S. 20 highway bridge.

THE RETROFITTING PROJECT

This double 60’ x 54’ stone arch bridge is 273 feet long

and is approximately 80’ high and was built by the

Lake Shore and Michigan Southern Railway in 1872,

replacing the original wood trestle which was con-

structed in 1851 by the Toledo, Norwalk and Cleveland

Railroad. Located 18 miles from Elyria, the bridge was

known as Structure #136 by the New York Central

Railroad. The bridge was constructed by the E. W.

Ensign Company and contains 2,447.75 perches of

Berea Sandstone in the bridge and 341.3 perches in

the piers, which equates to almost 2,600 cubic yards

of masonry. As the Norwalk Branch became just that,

a branch line, its beautiful sandstone bridges were not

replaced with modern steel structures as the case on

the newer main line through Sandusky.

HISTORY OF THE BRIDGE

The North Coast Inland Trail is a non-motorized recre-

ational trail stretching from Lorain to Toledo and is the

perfect venue for walking, running, bicycling, and

cross country skiing. The Bruce L. Chapin Bridge is a

key link in the NCIT spanning the Vermilion River and

joining trail sections in Lorain and Huron Counties.

NORTH COAST INLAND TRAIL

N.C.I.T.

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Open Trail

Proposed Trail / Under Development

Marked Road Route with NCIT Signs

Proposed route / route to be determined

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See the FRTTI Trail Map and Brochure for complete Huron County Detail and a look at the NCIT System

NORTH COAST INLAND TRAIL - Norwalk and Wakeman Detail Map

WEST

to Monroeville,Bellevue, Clyde,

Fremont,Lindsey, Elmore,

Genoa andToledo via theNorth CoastInland Trail

System.

EAST

to Kipton,Oberlin, Elyria,and Lorain viaNorth CoastInland Trail

System and theBlack RiverReservation.

Cover bridge photo by Fritz N. Kuenzel.

Black and white bridge photo by Howard W. Ameling.JPM 2012

Collins